Loom driving and control devices



y 1957 L. A. WENDEL LOQM DRIVING AND comm. DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

Larenz A. Wendel AIIOR EY I WITNESS %f77 7 y 1957 Q L. A. WENDEL 2,797,781

LOOM DRIVING AND CONTROL DEVICES Filed June 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

4? rut 55 54 56 2,646 N 44 II 50 1 4 IN V EN TOR.

Loreizz A. Wendel ATTORNEY WITNESS i '44. 444 in 4,444 v4 4 A A 2,797,781 Patented July 2, 1957 2,797,781 LOOM DRIVING AND CONTROL DEVICES Lorenz A. Wendel, Somerville, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J. a corporation of New Jersey Application June 23, 1954, Serial No. 438,728 6 Claims. (Cl. 19212) This invention relates to a loom driving and control mechanism and the invention relates more particularly to a clutch-brake motor for driving a loom and control means for obtaining rapid starting and stopping of the loom.

It is an object of this invention to provide a unitary clutch-brake motor for driving a loom which can be easily cont-rolled.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for obtaining very rapid stopping without using an extremely heavy brake spring.

Other objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a loom and a clutch-brake motor embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, partly in section, of the clutch-brake motor and control mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a view of the control mechanism taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the toggle mechanism taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic showing of the control linkage in various positions.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a loom frame 18 is shown in outline in Fig. 1 including a motor support frame 11 at one side. The support frame 11 carries one end of the loom main power shaft or crankshaft 12 which is journaled in a bearing support 13 fastenend to the motor support frame 11. An electric clutchbrake motor or power transmitter 14 is fastened to the support frame 11 and drives a pinion gear 15 which meshes with a large gear 16 fastened to the crank-shaft 12. A shipper shaft 17 is mounted at the front of the loom frame 10 and carries shipper handles 18 and 19 for controlling operation of the loom. A shipper handle connecting rod 20 is pivotally connected to the shipper handle 18 for controlling the transmitter 14 in a manner to be described below. An emergency shut-down rod 21 is also carried by the frame 18 and is adapted to strike the shipper handle 18. The shut-down rod may be actuated by a conventional emergency shut-down mechanism (not shown).

The electric power transmitter 14 is generally similar to the transmitter disclosed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,650,995, dated Sept. 1, 1953. The transmitter 14 is provided with a frame 22 including an end cover 23 which journally supports a driven shaft 24 and a motor rotor and flywheel 25 substantially as described in the said patent. The driven shaft 24 carries a hub 26 to which a flexible friction disc 27 is fastened. The disc 27 and the hub 26 are fixed against movement relative to the shaft 24 and the disc 27 carries a friction clutch facing 28 on one side and a friction brake facing 29 on the other side. A brake ring 38 is supported by the end cover 23 as described in my said patent. Two pivot ears 31 and 32 formed on the end cover 23 pivotally support an actuating lever 33 which extends downwardly between two ears 34 and 35 formed on a control cap 36 and behind a roll-pin 37 carried by and extending between the ears 34 and 35. A leaf-type spring 38 is clamped to the lever 33 below the roll-pin 37 and extends upwardly to engage the roll-pin 37. The control cap 36 is secured in a counterbore 39 in a bearing control sleeve 40 by a snap ring 41. The control sleeve 40 is slidably fitted in the end cover 23 and carries a shaft control bearing 42 which is fixed against axial movement relative to the sleeve 46. The bearing 42 is also fixed against axial movement relative to the driven shaft 24. Since the bearing 42 is fixed against axial movement relative to both the driven shaft 24 and the sleeve 40 any axial movement of the sleeve 40 also moves the shaft 24 and the disc 27 axially. The lower end of the lever 33 is pivotally connected to one end of a connecting rod 43 which is journaled in a beaning 44 carried by the motor support frame 11 beneath the power transmitter 14. The other end of the connecting rod 43 is pivotally fastened to one end of a toggle-link 45 which is pivotally connected at its other end to the center portion of a control toggle-link 46. The anchor end of the control toggle-link 46 is pivotally supported by a mounting plate 47 securely fastened to the motor support frame 11. The other end of the control toggle-link 45 is connected to a control rod 48 I by means of a ball-joint connection 49. The other end of the control rod 48 is fastened to a double ball-stud 50 carried by an over-center link 51 pivotally supported by a pivot stud 52 carried by the motor support frame 11. The shipper handle connecting rod 20 is also secured to the double ball-stud 50. A stop member 53 is fastened between the parallel arms of the control toggle-link 46 to function as a stop for preventing over-travel of the toggle mechanism. A brake coil spring 54 is secured at one end to an anchor 55 carried by the control rod 48 and at the other end the spring 54 is fastened to an anchor block 56 secured to the motor support frame 11. The spring 54 normally holds the transmitter brake yieldingly in engagement.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood. Frequently, it is necessary that a weaving loom must be shut down very quickly in order to prevent severe damage to the woven cloth. For example, if the shuttle fails to box properly, the loom must be stopped instantly to prevent breaking of the warp threads. Previous loom mechanisms have used friction brakes engaged by very strong springs to stop the loom and an independent clutch for connecting the loom to a driving electric motor. However, such spring'engaged brakes require a considerable force to release them and in spite of the strong springs, they tend to bounce and be erratic in their engagement. The toggle and over-center mechanism of the invention overcome these difl'iculties.

In the drawings, Figs. 1-3 inclusive illustrate the various parts under emergency shut-down conditions as the result of the sequence of events to be described. Assuming that the loom is in operation, the shipper handles 18 and 19 are moved counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1 until the shipper handle connecting rod 20 moves the over-center link 51 to the full line position shown in Fig. 5 from the broken line position, drawing the control rod 48 and the other associated parts to the full line positions also. The lower end of the actuating lever 33 is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 causing the leaf-spring 38 to urge the roll-pin 37 and, thus, also the driven shaft 24 and the flexible disc 27 to the left until the clutch facing 28 engages the rotor 25. When the mechanism is in correct adjustment, the clutch facing 28 engages the rotor 25 before the link 51 reaches the full line position shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, in order to permit the parts to reach the full line position, the spring 38 flexes and the lever 33 moves away from the roll-pin 37. It should be noted that the control rod 48 passes over the center of the pivot-stud over-center link mechanism functions to lock the clutch in engagement until a releasing force is applied to the shipper handle connecting rod 20.

Assuming that the parts are in the positions described above with the loom operating at a normal weavifi'g speed, if, for example, the shuttle fails to box properly, the loom emergency shut-down mechanism (not shown) is actuated to stop the loom. Under these conditions, the shut-down mechanism drives the rod 21 against the shipper-handle 18 with considerable force, driving the shipper-handle 18 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1. The shipper handle 18 draws the connecting rod 20 forward, pulling the link 51 counterclockwise, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, from its over-center position. As the link 51 moves counterclockwise, the control rod 48 is forced to the right, as viewed in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, urging'the toggle links 45 and 46 toward their locked position as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5. The brake spring 54 supplements the force applied by the knock-off rod 21. As the togglelinks 45 and 46 move toward their locked position, the connecting rod 43 is forced to the right, moving the lower end of the actuating lever 33 to the right, also. As the actuating lever 33 moves, the control sleeve 40 and driven shaft 24 are moved to disengage the clutch and engage the brake facing 29 with the brake ring 30. The mechanism is so arranged that the brake facing 29 engages the brake ring 30 before the toggle links 45 and 46 reach their position of maximum extension. The force of the spring 54 in addition to the force applied by the emergency shut-down mechanism is sufficient to force the toggle links through their position of maximum extension to their locked position as shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 5. This movement after the brake engages causes the disc 27 to flex and apply a force to the toggle-links 45 and 46 which will keep them locked until the toggle is broken by a clutch-engaging movement of the control rod 48. The stop-block 53 abuts against the toggle-link 45 when the toggle is locked in order to prevent the toggle from passing too far beyond its position of maximum extension. The toggle links 45 and 46 lock the brake in a position of maximum engagement or a locked position under a brake engaging force which is much greater than the force of the spring 54 alone. After the loom is stopped, the toggle-links 45 and 46 can be moved from their locked position by applying a clutch-engaging force to the shipper handle 18 or 19. If the handle is then released before the link 51 is moved from its over-center position, the brake is held engaged only by the force of the spring 54.

From the foregoing description, the advantages of my invention are believed to be apparent. I have provided a loom motor and control mechanism which is simple and compact and which provides for rapid stopping of the loom. The mechanism does not require the use of extremely strong brake springs but eliminates bouncing and erratic engagement of the brake. Further, the control mechanism is smooth and shock-free in its operation.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is: i

1. An electric power transmitter for driving a loom comprising a frame, a motor rotor carried by said frame, a driven shaft carried by said frame and adapted to be rotated by said rotor, clutch means for operatively con- 2,797,7s1 if e ing means for engaging said clutch means and simultaneously releasing said toggle device to disengage said brake.

3. An electric power transmitter and control device for driving a loom comprising; a frame, a motor rotor rotatably carried by said frame, a driven shaft carried by said frame and adapted to be rotated by said rotor, clutch means for operativelyconnecting said driven shaft to said rotor for rotation, resilient brake means for restraining rotation of said driven shaft, actuating means for aid clutch and brake means, said actuating means being adapted to move said brake to a normal engaged position and a locked position, an over-center device operatively connected to said actuating means for holding said clutch means in engagement, and a toggle mechanism having an over-center position operatively connected to said actuating means for holding said brake in said locked position. i

4. An electric power transmitter for driving a loom comprising a frame, a motor rotor carried by said frame, a driven shaft carried by said frame and adapted to be rotated by said rotor, clutch means for operatively connecting said driven shaft to said rotor for rotation, said clutch means having an engaged and a disengaged position, brake means for restraining rotation of said driven shaft, said brake having a released position and a locked position, operating means for said clutch means and said brake means, toggle mechanism having an over-center position operatively connected to said operating means for locking said brake in it locked position, an over-center mechanism for locking said clutch in its engaged position, and means operatively connecting said over-center mechanism to said toggle mechanism to permit only one of said clutch and said brake means to be locked at one time.

5. An electric power transmitter for driving a 100m comprising a frame, a motor rotor carried by said frame, a driven shaft carried by said frame and adapted to be rotated by said rotor, clutch means for operatively connecting said driven shaft to said rotor for rotation, said clutch means having an engaged and a disengaged position, brake means for restraining rotation of said driven shaft, said brake means having a normal engaged position and a locked position, actuating means for said clutch and brake means, said actuating means including a toggle mechanism having an over-center position for holding said brake means in its locked position and an over-center mechanism for holding said clutch means in its engaged position, said mechanisms being interconnected to release one mechanism when the other of said mechanisms is engaged.

6. An electric power transmitter for driving a loom comprising a frame, a motor rotor carried by said frame, a driven shaft carried by said frame and adapted to be rotated by said rotor, a brake member carried by said frame, a friction member disposed between said rotor and said brake member, said friction member being secured to said driven shaft, actuating means for moving necting said driven shaft to said rotor for rotation, brake means for restraining rotation of said driven shaft, said brake means having an engaged position and a locked position, movable means for actuating said brake means to it locked position, and a toggle device having an over-center position for holding said brake means in its locked position.

2. A power transmitter as claimed in claim 1 comprissaid friction member into normal engagement and locked engagement with said brake member, and into engagement with said rotor, said actuating means including a toggle mechanism having an overcenter position for holding said friction member in locked engagement with said brake member, and an overcenter mechanism for holding said friction member in engagement with said rotor, said mechanisms being interconnected to release one rnechdanism when the other of said mechanisms is engage References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,628,219 Benedict May 10, 1927 1,928,711 Walsh Oct. 3, 1933 2,587,015 Walter Feb. 26, 1952 

